Sunday, April 29, 2007

You've all no doubt have all read all these Omani magazines and newspapers that commend from time to time certain establishments in the country for being the best in business, or best customer service or perhaps even just the best product ever?

But have any of you ever considered when they do elect these organizations (i.e.: private organizations) that how are these votes carried out and howcome you never got to participate being you - a citizen of the Sultanate of Oman?

Like, BankMuscat gets chosen almost every year to being the best bank in the GCC or the Middle East region? But ever fathomed as to why? For all I know, BankMuscat, to me, is the worst bank that anyone could ever come to have an account with. They never transfer on the date that you agree with them upon, they never send you your monthly card bills (whether its a debit or a credit), and mostly when you send a question to them through their online portal - BankMuscat - you never get a reply.

That to me says worst bank ever. I'm even considering transferring my entire funds and starting up a whole new account with National Bank of Oman; NBO.

I could use the OmanTel example, along with Oman Mobile too, but you've all gotten a bit too bored with that and probably know the outcome, too.

TheWeek's entire Oman Restaurants Awards is a crap idea from the beginning, since I was told that in order for you to participate, you have to pay to be enlisted. If you're planning up an awards ceremony on behalf of the restaurants in, say the Muscat area, you'd be organizing it by encouraging people from all over the dinner table, so to speak, to participate and not make it exclusive to people who are willing to pay only. Right?

Main point here is that the validity of these 'awards' is just about as good as my days' old socks.

4
comments:

BankMuscat has never been chosen the bank in the GCC let alone the Middle East. They've been awarded best bank in Oman for something like 6 years in a row by some international financial magazines like The Banker though. Anyhow, that's no excuse for any bad service that you may have got. You should complain by calling their call center or emailing their quality department directly (I think it's quality@bankmuscat.com, but I may be wrong). I've tried banking with NBO, I wasn't satisfied and when I wanted to close my account they wanted to charge me an account closure fee which I refused to pay. Maybe you should try the new kid on the block, Bank Sohar, and tell us about it.

By the way, the Oman Restaurant Awards are done by Oman Today, not The Week - both published by Apex, but still not the same. As far as I know, no one pays to be on the list. The nomination forms are distributed all over town in just about all the restaurants and coffeshops and you can nominate whichever restaurant you like. There is no payment involved. Just because people nominate restaurants that you don't like doesn't necessarily mean that the procedure wasn't fair.

As for your kind notes, I only said that BankMuscat had won the award but I never on which region specifically. So I posted the options. But, with that. I apologize.

BankMuscat has lost my trust as being the best bank in Oman a long time back, while Bank Sohar still has to open up its branches and install ATMS which will probably take some time, so I think I'll wait them out.

The Oman Restaurants awards comment was only because I was told by someone about it, and I thought it would be good as an addition to the post. I again, apologize for any misunderstanding.

And I do aim to put the right facts. But I didn't have the links to these specific points unfortunately.

As for your kind notes, I only said that BankMuscat had won the award but I never on which region specifically.

Let me quote from your post:

"BankMuscat gets chosen almost every year to being the best bank in the GCC or the Middle East region?"

Anyhow, all it takes is a couple minutes doing searches online before you post so that you can double check your facts. If you want people to take you for a serious writer you'll need to earn their trust so that when they read something that you've written they can take it for a fact without ever doubting it. I know that it was just a personal opinion that you posted, but still. It never hurts, and it always a big plus when you link to what you're talking about.

while I consider it awfully nice of you to bring to notice the issues you mentioned in your said comment, I would like to also tell you that this blog is somewhat of an on/off casual base for my ideas, and opinions and the such.

I appreciate and value your suggestions, but to say that I am unable of committing a mistake would be to say that I a complete Angel in the sense of perfection and the such.

Thanks again for your notes. Do come back more often to my blog. As I really appreciate constructive criticism when it's in place.

VerveEarth

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